Twin Lance Knight (2)

One week ago.

“I-I’m so sorry!!”

Alice bowed her head so deeply that her crown touched the ground as she shouted.

“A secret meeting? Such a terrible misunderstanding…!”

“No, no. It’s okay.”

Bell shook his head and tried to comfort Alice, who kept bowing and apologizing profusely.

“As you said, it was a situation that could easily be misunderstood.”

Alice, who had been shaking her head up and down, carefully raised her head and said,

“B-but still. I had no idea you were a war hero like the Princess Knight.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Bell nodded with a bitter expression.

“Then, were you a knight of the Holy Nation?”

“No, I was a soldier.”

“Eh?!”

Alice asked back in great surprise.

“W-why?!”

“In the Holy Nation, commoners who haven’t studied theology aren’t treated as high-ranking personnel like knights.”

Bell answered in a calm tone.

“If you were expecting some great war stories like the Princess Knight’s, I’m sorry to disappoint you. My position was just that of a common soldier, and to be called a war hero like the Princess Knight…”

“That’s not true!”

Alice shouted. Bell’s eyes widened in surprise, and Alice’s trembling voice reached his ears.

“Y-you went to war to protect people. Even though you were scared, even though you were afraid, you endured it… I think things like social status don’t matter at all.”

Despite her nervousness, Alice continued firmly.

“Maybe I think this way because I grew up in the Republic… but just because you didn’t study some theology doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be called a hero!”

After finishing her passionate speech, Alice checked Lore’s expression.

Lore stared at her silently with a subtle expression, and Alice bowed her head again a beat later.

“…Eek! I-I’m sorry! You must be from the Holy Nation too, and I said ‘some theology’…”

“No, it’s fine.”

Bell Lore said quietly. When Alice raised her head, she saw his face had brightened considerably.

“Thanks to you, I feel a bit better. Thank you, Miss Basildar.”

“Y-yes! It was my honor!”

Seeing his expression that had clearly brightened more than before, Alice finally relaxed and greeted him.

“Ah, Miss Basildar.”

“Yes?”

Bell Lore addressed her as she was about to turn away with a much lighter heart.

“May I ask you for one favor?”

“…So that’s why you were studying theology.”

Delphina muttered in a tiny voice with her face bright red.

When Alice first came out of the house, Delphina’s thoughts had split in two directions.

One was the possibility that Alice might also be an accomplice tied to some larger scheme.

And the second was…

‘…What an inappropriate thought.’

Delphina quickly shook her head, trying to rid herself of the improper idea.

To her, Lore continued in a calm tone.

“I thought that by studying theology, I might find answers.”

“Answers?”

“About the incomprehensible reality of my home country, about my circumstances. I thought that by studying theology, I might also learn why a nation that serves God ended up like that.”

“…Did you have any success?”

Delphina asked carefully. Lore shook his head with a bitter smile.

“If anything, my questions only increased. The contents of the scriptures are all righteous and just words, completely different from reality, so my doubts only grew.”

Nevertheless, Lore said,

“Well, I haven’t been studying for long. As I learn more, perhaps something will become clear.”

“But why specifically ask Miss Alice?”

Delphina turned to look at Alice and asked.

“I was under the impression that Miss Alice didn’t complete the theology department curriculum. How could she teach theology…?”

“…Well, actually I was also aspiring to be a Holy Knight.”

Alice answered nervously.

“I studied theology and even took the exam… but I failed the theology department test and only passed the knight department test. That’s how it turned out.”

“Ah, I see.”

As Alice let out an awkward laugh, Delphina suddenly turned her head to look at Lore.

“…Instructor Lore.”

Delphina cautiously opened her mouth.

“If it’s alright with you, could I help you with your theology studies from now on?”

“…Pardon?”

Instructor Lore asked back, surprised by this unexpected offer.

“I did cause you trouble today… and to apologize for that? Though that’s not quite the right way to put it.”

“Um, well.”

Lore hesitated, unable to answer immediately.

“T-that’s a good idea!”

Alice exclaimed brightly, speaking up for him when he couldn’t easily reply.

“If it’s Delphina, you would know much more about theology than I do! Much more than me…”

“I’m sorry.”

But Lore bowed his head.

“…What?”

“I’ve already been learning from Miss Alice, and it’s not something Miss Delphina needs to concern herself with. Besides, you seem quite busy, and it would be overwhelming to balance theology studies with knight department training.”

Lore bowed his head.

“I appreciate the sentiment, thank you.”

“…I see.”

Alice looked back and forth between them with a confused expression. Delphina nodded in understanding and replied.

“If that’s your decision, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Ah…”

Alice looked at both of them with a somewhat disappointed expression before finally bowing her head.

“By the way.”

Then, Lore spoke up.

“You must have had a clear reason to come looking for me so suddenly.”

“…”

“Let’s talk about that.”

Delphina, who had been silent and fidgeting with her fingers, glanced at Alice and said,

“Yes. There is definitely a reason, but…”

“Is there some problem?”

“…It’s highly classified information at the national level. I’m a bit reluctant to share it with Miss Alice who has nothing to do with this.”

“Ah…”

Alice got up from her seat with an awkward expression.

“T-then I’ll wait outside.”

“…I’m sorry. But it’s probably better for you not to hear this from the beginning, Miss Alice.”

Delphina bowed her head with a sincere expression.

Alice responded with a composed smile.

“It’s okay. I’ll be right outside the door, so call me when you’re done?”

-Click.

Only after Alice went outside did Delphina quietly begin to speak.

“…Our kingdom has confirmed sightings of Cornelio Difind near the Polaris neutral zone.”

“Your kingdom…?”

“Ah, I should explain that first.”

Delphina reached into her garment and pulled out a small notebook.

“…The silver emblem of the Failon Royal Family.”

Lore muttered quietly.

Not the gold emblem symbolizing royalty itself, but the silver emblem indicating someone close to royalty, a royal associate, or someone on a special mission from the royal family.

“My enrollment at Polaris Academy was partly to study here, but… it was also to serve as Princess Evangeline’s bodyguard.”

In response to Delphina’s words, Lore replied with a troubled expression.

“Isn’t the presence of private soldiers prohibited within Polaris Academy…?”

“I’m not a private soldier, but a proper student who entered fairly. I took the entrance exam fair and square.”

Delphina said as she put the emblem back into her garment.

“Anyway, that’s not the important part.”

“…You mentioned Cornelio Difind, correct?”

Lore said.

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Delphina looked straight at him and said.

“And we don’t want the Princess to know about this at all.”

“…So you suspected me.”

“Yes.”

Delphina nodded readily at Lore’s words.

“A suspicious record of being a mere soldier in the war despite being a top graduate of Polaris Academy rather than a knight. And chronologically, right after you claimed to the Princess that you didn’t know about Cornelio, our side received information about sightings of Cornelio…”

“…I see.”

“However, I want to apologize again. In the end, it was all a misunderstanding.”

Delphina bowed her head.

“…And, though it’s presumptuous, I’d like to ask one favor.”

“A favor?”

“Now that you’ve heard this, I’d like you to clearly state your willingness to cooperate with us.”

Lore asked back.

“Cooperation, specifically what kind of…”

“First, the information you know about Cornelio…”

-Riiiiiiiiiiing!!

At that moment, the telephone hanging on Lore’s wall rang loudly.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Lore got up from his seat and approached the telephone.

Holding the receiver and transmitter to his ear and mouth respectively, Lore began to speak.

“Hello, this is Bell Lore.”

[….]

“Excuse me, could you please identify your—”

“Get down!!”

-Crash!!

Delphina screamed as she tackled Lore from above.

Simultaneously, a window shattered and an arrow pierced through the receiver that had fallen from Lore’s hand.

-Crack…!

“Ugh.”

Lore grimaced and fell to the floor, the arrow having cut his fingertip.

However, since the window wasn’t very large, no further attacks came.

Delphina, hiding in a blind spot, said,

“From the upper right direction. At least from a second-floor height, aimed downward.”

“Who would do such…”

As Lore muttered while clicking his tongue, someone suddenly crossed his mind.

“…Alice.”

“What?”

“Miss Alice is in danger.”

Lore got up and headed towards the corridor leading to the front door.

“Miss Alice! Come inside! It’s dangerous outside!”

“…”

“Miss Alice!!”

Lore shouted as he slowly approached the entrance, while Delphina followed him discreetly, thinking,

‘It’s unnaturally quiet outside. If she heard the sound of breaking glass, Alice would have reacted…’

Lore placed his hand on the door handle. At the same time, Delphina shouted,

“Instructor Lore, don’t open it! It could be a trap…!”

-Creak.

However, Delphina’s voice arrived a moment too late. As the front door opened, something sharp flew through from the other side, cutting through the air.

-Clang!!

Delphina, who had leaped forward, thrust her hammer through the doorway.

‘A lance…?!’

Feeling the heavy weight transmitted to her fingertips, Delphina gritted her teeth and bent her knees.

-Thud!!

As Delphina forcibly swung her hammer to deflect the attack, she saw Alice lying subdued on the ground.

“Miss Alice…!”

“Are you Evangeline’s lackey?”

A man’s voice she had never heard before reached her ears.

Delphina’s heart sank as she saw the silver short lance in the man’s hand.

With a sinking feeling, Delphina quietly said,

“…Cornelio?”

“Oh ho, look at this?”

The man spread his hands and smirked.

The short lance that Delphina had deflected flew back into the man’s hand as if being sucked in.

-Thump.

“You know me?”

Former 6th seat of the Kingdom’s Seven Swords, Twin Lance Knight Cornelio.

He stared at Delphina with a sinister smile.